Spring wheel



J. D. SHORT March 13, 1928.

SPRI NG WHEEL Filed June 20. 1927 A IN1/Emo Je eral? fm1,

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ATToRNEKs.

Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEFFERSON D. SHORT, OF ALB'QUERQUE, NEW MEXICO.

f SPRING `WHEEL.

Application mea June 2o,

5 have been numerous wheels of this class but none, as far as I amaware, that have proven sufliciently ellicient and practical as to havefound a place in the commercial world, on the ground of intricacy andweakness of construction and durability, susceptibility to bucklingunder laterally-applied strain, and also because of producing unusualand loud noises in operation, and of presenting an uncouth appearancebecause of the exposure of numerous springs within the circle of thewheel. ,v

My objects therefore are to provide a cushion wheel whichy will possessmaximum strength and durability as regards its load carrying capacityand resistance to buckling action under laterally applied strain; whichwill operate under all conditions of load or strain without producingclicking orrats tling sounds, and which is conventional in appearancewith the ordinary rigid disk wheel in common use., n

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel anduseful features of construct-ion and combinations of parts ashereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may befullyunderstood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, inwhich z- Figure l is a 'fragmentary view ot a wheel embodying theinvention with the disks concentric relative to the rim, the near diskbeing broken away to disclose one of the cushioning mechanisms and the.latter being shown in section. 4

Figure 2 is a similar view but with the arts positioned as when carryingweight, that is with the disks and parts carried there- 1 by depressedand hence in eccentric relation to the rim, the inner end of the spokeoccupying a position slightly to one sideof a radial plane passingthrough the axis of the `wheel and the outer end of the spoke.

Figure 3 is an edge view of the wheel as it appears in Figure 1. Y y oIn the said drawing, `1 indicates the hub of a wheel, either of thesteering or 4driving type, and secured rigidly to the hub in spacedrelation is a pair of disks 2 and 3 of diameter to nearly correspond tothe 1nner diameter ot' the wheel rim a which surrounds them and isprovided with a tire,-

1927. Serial No. 200,023.

shown in this'instance as a conventional l solid rubber tire, as the,wheels of ythe invention aredesigned primarily forv use on trucks,though not restricted solely to such use.

preferably knear their outer edgesto insure rigid relationship between'them, will be arranged around the hub, asuitable ynumber of pairs offacing sockets and 6, one pair only being shown. `The sockets are spacedapart, but are preferably ot' integral construction for greater strengthand ease of assembly. The pairs of sockets 5 and 6 eX- tend generally ina direction radial of the wheel. Rigidly connecting and bracing theldisks, and pivoted on each bolt 7 is -a casing S. Thecasings 8 are ofvgenerally tri` angular form in side view and narrower than thespacebetween the disks 'so as to lbe capable of pivotal or oscillatorymovement without abrasionor contact with the disks. The casings havearms or extensions 9, at the sides opposite their pivotal points, whicharms project through the spaces between the .sockets 5k and 6.k yReceived within said sockets and applying inward and outward pressurerespectively on the arm 9, are springs 10 and 11, one spring tending toresist outward movement ofthe wheel hub and the other to resist reversemovement.

Betweenand rigidly connecting the disks The casing is provided with .apair of spaced sockets V12 and 13, containing springs lll and 15applying pressure upon opposite sides of a rflat spoke 16 interposedbetween them and extending generally in a radial direction with respectto the wheel, each spoke being pivoted at 17 ,at its outer end to andbetween a pair of lugs .18, projecting inwardly from the sides of therim. At the inner end each spoke is pivoted at 19 to the apex of thecasing ata point between the socketsk of the casing vand `the .hub ot'the wheel. f f

When the wheel is atrest, the load or weight ot' the car will cause thecenter of the wheels to fall slightly below thecenter tioned withrespect to the apex of the casing. As a result of the pivotal action otthe casing and spoke, sp1-imgr 11 is compressed and hence cushions thedownward movement of the hub and disks, and cooperatingv in olieringyielding, resistance to such movement by spring: 1st, springl 11 insocket 6 applies increased pressure on arm E), as the pivotal movementof the casinr to the left on the pivot bolt, causes the arm 9 to moverelatively upward.

It will be understood likewise, that upward or rebound movenient of thehuh and disks relative to the rim, will reverse the action described,that is, will canse reverse pivotal movement of the casing' and spokeand cause such elements to press against the. other springs 15 and 10respectively. It will thus be seen that two springs always cooperate inresisting downward movement and the other two springs cooperate inopposing upward or rebounding n'lovenient. It will also bc understoodthat this cooperative action is common to all of the cushion applianceslaround the wheel, but that the springs which oppose downwardmovement of the hub when below the axis of the latter, oli'cr noresistance to suoli movement when above the hub, and that the springs 15and 10 which are relatively functionlcss when below the axis of the hub,olfer resistance to such downward moven'lent when above the axis of thehub. This reversal of functional action also applies with respect to thecushion appliances when in a horizontal plane through the axis of thehub, but at different sides thereof. It will like- Vwise be apparentthat the springs perform alternately the different functions describedaccording to the direction in which the wheel turns. that is to say,referring,T to the appliance when below the huh. if the. latter turns inthe direction indicated hy the arrow` Figure 1, the springs 14 and 11fuuction to yielding'ly resist downward movement and transfer ot powerfrom the disks to the rim, whereas if the wheel movement is revi'irsed,as in hacking, the, other pair of springs yieldingly res st suchdownward moven'ient and transfer of power.

`From the above description, it will be apparent that 1 have produced adevice embodying the flatures of advantage set forth as desirable in thestatement of the object of the invention, and which may be modified invarious particulars without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A cushion wheel comprising a hub. a disk secured thereto, av rimsurrounding the disk, a plurality ot casinos pivoted to the disk andeach provided with an arm extendin;r transversely of a radial plane ofthe wheel, means carried by said disk and adapted for yieldinglyapplying inward and outward forceon each of said arms, spokes cxtendingin a direction generally radial ot the wheel and each pivoted at itsouter end to the rim and at its inner cud to a casing, and means carriedby the casinos and adapted to apply yielding force on the spokes tendingto oscillate the same in opposite dircctions in a plane transverse withrespect to the axis of the wheel.

2. A cushion wheel compusinsr a huh. a disk secured thereto, a rim.surrounding the disk, a plurality of casinos pivoted to the disk andeach provided with an arm extending transversely of a radial plane ofthe wheel, a plurality of pair ol springs` carried by the disk andapplying;I inward and ontward force on their respective arms. spokesextending' in a direction generally radial of the wheel and each pivotedat its outer end to the rim and at its inner end to a casing. andsprings carried by the casing and ap- )lyinfr force on the spokestendine* to oscillate the same in opposite directions in a planetransverse with respect to the axis of the wheel.

3. A cushion wheel comprising a huh. a disk secured thereto, a rimsurroundingr the disk, a, `plurality of pairs oi' spaced facing socketssecured to the disk` a plurality of casings pivoted to the disk and eachprovided with an arm extendingr t'ansverselv of a radial plane of thewheel and between a pair of said sockets, springs in the socketsrespectively applying inward and outward pressure on an arm, spokesextendingF in a direction generally radial of the wheel and each pivotedat its outer end to the rim and at its inner end to a casing at a pointnearer to the axis of the wheel than the pivotal point of the respectivecasing on the disk. and a pair of springs carried by each casing andapplying" force in opposite directions on their respective spokes.

Al. cushion wheel con'iprisine a huh. spaced disks secured to the huh. arim .surroundingr the disks. a pluralil)v ol' pairsy ol spaced facingsockets secured to and lictween the disks, a casinglr pivoted to andbetween the disks opposite the spare between each pair of sockets, andeach provided with an arm extendingr between the sockets, spokesextendingT in a. direction generally radial of the wheel and through acasing and pivotally connected at the outer end to the rim and at theinner end to the casing, and springs within each casing and bearing atltheir remote ends against their respective casings and at the other endsagainst. opposite faces of their respective spokes.

5. A cushion wheel comprising a hub, spaced disks secured to the huh, arim snrrounding the disks, casings pivoted to and between the disks sothat their free ends shall be capable of moving toward and from l lU ingto swing their respective casings in op-`v posite directions, spokespivoted at their outer ends to the rim and at their inner ends to acasing at a point nearer to the axis of the wheel than the pivotal pointof their respective casings, and yielding means carried by each casingand bearing against their respective spoke-s at opposite sides thereofand tending to swing the spoke in a plane transverse with respect to theaxis of the wheel.

6. A cushion wheel comprising -a hub, a disk secured thereto, a rimsurrounding the disk, casings pivoted to the disk, spokes vpivoted attheir outer ends to the rim and at their inner ends to a casing in adifferent radial plane and at a lesser distance from the axis of thewheel than the pivotal point of their respective casings, means applyingyielding force tending to resist outward swinging movement of veachcasing, and other means applying yielding force tending to resist inwardswinging movement of each casing.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

JEFFERSON D. SHORT.

